


This Is Us

by acklesbbykate



Series: Inspired By Songs [11]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Based on a song, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, Past Abuse, Romance, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 09:52:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13051599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acklesbbykate/pseuds/acklesbbykate
Summary: ~Dean pulled Cas against him and draped the shorter man’s arms over his shoulders, wrapped his own arms around Cas’s waist. As the lyrics filtered through the speakers and around them, they swayed together, Dean’s forehead resting against Cas’s.~Cas learns to leave the hurt in the past and take a chance on the future....and on Dean.I could flip back over that hour glassAnd refill the better halfIt's a miracle how broken hearts can mendWon't you dry up all those tear drops and start again





	This Is Us

**Author's Note:**

> Based on This Is Us by Backstreet Boys  
> [Lyric Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiCLYjerngs)

Cas wiped his eyes as he walked up the sidewalk to Dean’s house. His heart beat hard and his hands shook. The events of the past few days weighed heavy on his mind and heart. The end of his relationship with a physically and mentally abusive man, running into the healing arms of his best friend only to be reminded of his feelings for Dean being the reason he had jumped into a relationship with Michael in the first place, then finding out that Dean actually did love him back. 

Dean had confessed his feelings. Cas had stammered an apology and a need to think about things and fled. He had been so scared. Scared that, like Michael, Dean would change. Scared that he would get hurt again. Scared that their friendship would end, and he would lose Dean forever.

Scared because Dean was what his heart wanted, what his heart had always wanted.

After three days of endless thinking, endless worrying, barely sleeping, barely eating, he was back. He was back at Dean’s door to tell him how he was feeling, that while he was still scared, he wanted this, wanted Dean. Cas knocked, and the door opened to reveal his best friend looking nervously back at him. Dean reached out and took his hand, pulling him inside. 

“Cas, how are… I mean are you… Can I…” Dean stumbled over his words as he drew Cas to sit on the couch beside him. “Cas, man, don’t cry.” He brushed a tear from Cas’s cheek.

“Dean, I came to talk about…about what you told me, about your feelings. And I want to tell you my feelings too. Please, let me get through this before you speak, okay? I want to start at the beginning. Which I guess is hard to do because I can’t exactly figure out when I fell in love with my best friend.” Cas half-smiled, remembering how suddenly his life wasn’t his own anymore, how suddenly Dean was his life. “It’s like I just saw you one day, and it was there, the feelings, like they had always been there, and I just hadn’t realized it. But I thought for sure that you would never return those feelings. So, I tried to move on from them, to get over you.

“When I met Michael, he reminded me so much of you. I tried to pretend that wasn’t what drew me to him, but I can’t lie anymore. I told myself that since I couldn’t have you, this would have to do. And he was so wonderful…until he just…wasn’t anymore. Then it was ‘Castiel, you worthless whore’ and ‘You would be nothing if it wasn’t for me’. He called me names, telling me I would never amount to anything, that I was worth nothing except a hole to keep his…well, you get the picture. The first time he hit me, I was so shocked, but he immediately realized what he’d done. For a little while I got MY Michael back, the one that I had become so enamored with in the beginning.” He glanced up at Dean. “The one that reminded me so much of you.” He smiled weakly and looked away again. “Then slowly the change back to his old self stopped happening and he would just beat me black and blue until I couldn’t even see from my eyes swollen shut, couldn’t breathe without pain from broken ribs. 

“That night you saw me walking to the hospital…You saved me, Dean. You put up such a fight when you knew I was lying about what being in a car accident. You knew I was being hurt, and you fought for me. You gave me the strength to leave him.” He took Dean’s hands in both of his and looked up at him. “I can’t thank you enough for that.

“And that would have been enough for me, to have you back in my life as my best friend.

“Then you admitted that it had always ‘torn you apart’ to know I was with him, that you had always loved me.”

Cas looked down at their hands and whispered softly, “I’m scared, Dean,” before looking back up at Dean, seeing the tears in his own eyes mirrored back in Dean’s. “But…I want to try. I want to try being ‘us’. I think we owe it to ourselves to try, and…I trust you, Dean. I trust that you won’t hurt me.”

Dean smiled and lifted Cas’s hand to his lips, gently kissing his knuckles. “Cas, there are so many things I want to say. I actually…I know this song and it fits so well. I want to play it for you, because everything I want to say is just there, in the lyrics.” Dean hooked his phone into the speakers and a beautiful guitar intro began to play. He pulled Cas against him and draped the shorter man’s arms over his shoulders, wrapped his own arms around Cas’s waist. As the lyrics filtered through the speakers and around them, they swayed together, Dean’s forehead resting against Cas’s, and he sang along quietly.

_“Got a million reasons to run and hide_  
_I don't blame you for being scared, for being scared, no_  
_Bout a novel long all the pain that he's caused you_  
_Baby I'm fully aware, I'm fully aware”_

Dean cupped Cas’s face and gently brushed his thumb along Cas’s bottom lip as he sang along to the chorus, keeping the shorter man snug against his chest as they swayed.

Cas smiled up at Dean, thinking how perfect the song was, and how much he loved hearing Dean sing it. He closed his eyes and focused solely on Dean as he continued to sing, and they continued barely dancing, never really moving much, content just to be in each other’s arms.

As the chorus built again, Dean closed his eyes too and focused on pouring his heart into the words he was singing.

_“I could be the one_  
_Give you all my love_  
_Forget what he has done to you_  
_I'm here now_  
_Open up to me_  
_Love will set you free_  
_If ever you believe it_  
_Please believe in me_  
_This is us”_

Dean opened his eyes just as Cas opened his. He looked intently into Cas’s eyes, singing the lyrics with so much meaning that Cas knew he meant every word.

Goosebumps popped up along Cas’s arms. He could feel the love radiating like a heat wave from the man in front of him; this man who was Cas’s best friend, his protector, his savior, his whole world. Softly, Cas joined in singing the final chorus, his gravelly tenor voice harmonizing with Dean’s rich baritone.

As the song came to a close, the beautiful sounds of a guitar filling the room, Dean pressed a gentle kiss to Cas’s forehead, nose, then lips. He whispered, “I love you, Cas.”

“This is us.” Cas quoted, nuzzling his face against Dean’s. “And Dean? I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a major BSB fan, and this is such a great song, so you should definitely check it out! I hope y'all enjoyed this little fic! Kudos/Comment <3


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